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NBA commissioner sheds light on 1 percent wagering fee

Adam Silver, National Basketball Association (NBA) commissioner, has shed some new light on the leagues recent revelation that it would seek one percent fee from all wagers on its games should sports betting be legalized in the U.S.

Silver, speaking to reporters at the NBA’s All-Star Weekend festivities Saturday in Los Angeles, alternately referred to the one percent fee as an “integrity fee” and as a “royalty” to the league. He said that the NBA will spend about $7.5 billion this year to create its “intellectual property” and a one percent fee “seems very fair to me.”

The league is open to further negotiations on the issue, Silver said, adding, “to the extent that we sit down and there are other ways and better way to reach a fair result, we’re happy to have those discussions.”

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to issue its ruling on the legality of the current law banning single-team sports wagering in every state except Nevada sometime in the next few months.